insight department: usa visitors to scotland€¦ · usa and also visiting scotland for the first...

September 2018

Insight Department:USA Visitors to Scotland

Welcome

INSIGHT DEPARTMENT: USA VISITORS TO SCOTLAND

A Typical Visitor from USA to Scotland

• Scotland enjoys a positive image amongst US nationals. In general, Scotland is viewed as a country of great natural beauty, rich in history and culture. Scotland’s reputation as the ‘Home of Golf’ is another inspiring factor for visitors from the USA.

• Scotland typically appeals to the discerning USA traveller who may see travel as a means of life enrichment, relaxation and mental refreshment.

• There is a perception that Scotland is a special kind of destination for a sophisticated and independent minded US traveller; a location that not everyone flocks to.

• Typically the visitor from the USA is likely to be older (55+), travelling with their partner or spouse and with equal proportions working full time or retired.

• A significant proportion of visitors from the USA will be from the Eastern states of the USA and also visiting Scotland for the first time.

• A tourist from the USA to Scotland will often tour a number of areas of Scotland, taking in key cities and rural areas. They may be combining their trip to Scotland with a visit to London or Paris or other places across Europe.

• The vast, green and majestic landscape will appeal strongly to the USA visitor. They will also expect to immerse themselves in Scotland’s history and culture when here, with castles high on their agenda of things to do. Some visitors will be keen to take in a round of golf or will be interested in the history of golf in Scotland.

• The expectation that Scotland’s people will be friendly is strong and is seen as a real benefit of a holiday in Scotland.

‘The USA Visitors to Scotland’ factsheet provides the latest data and trends on the volume and value of visitors from USA to Scotland from the International Passenger Survey (IPS). This factsheet also provides information on the latest consumer trends and attitudes.

Visitors from USA to the UK and Scotland in 2017


INDICATORSKEY FACTS

UK SCOTLAND

Total visits 3,910,000 566,000

Visits by purpose45% Holiday

25% VFR21% Business

66% Holiday 20% VFR

10% Business

Total nights 31,024,000 4,949,000

Total spend £3,636m £556m

Average length of stay 7.9 nights 8.7 nights

Average spend per day £117 £112

Average spend per visit £930 £982

Source: IPS, 2017

In 2017, USA was Scotland’s

• Largest source market measured by number of visits• Largest by number of nights • Largest in terms of expenditure

In 2017, USA was the UK’s

• 2nd largest source market measured by number of visits• Largest by number of nights• Largest by expenditure

Visitors from USA to Scotland Compared to Other Overseas Markets:


TRIPS SPEND NIGHTS

000s % £m % 000s %

USA 566 18% 556 24% 4,949 20%

Germany 372 12% 285 13% 2,609 11%

France 206 6% 106 5% 1,764 7%

Australia 157 5% 134 6% 1,510 6%

Netherlands 157 5% 93 4% 776 3%

Irish Republic 128 4% 35 2% 405 2%

Norway 123 4% 68 3% 892 4%

Spain 122 4% 109 5% 602 2%

Italy 121 4% 74 3% 779 3%

Canada 115 4% 90 4% 1,063 4%

Rest of World 1,143 36% 726 32% 9,046 37%

Total 3,210 100% 2,276 100% 24,395 100%

Source: IPS, 2017

Latest Information Visitors from USA to Scotland


3 year average (2015-2017)Source: IPS, 2017

Seasonality

Purpose of travel Duration of stay

INDICATORS KEY FACTS

Total visits to Scotland 566,000

Total nights in Scotland 4,949,000

Total spend in Scotland £556m

Average length of stay 8.7 nights

Average spend per day £112

Average spend per visit £982

1-3 nights (7%)

4-7 nights (29%)

8-14 nights (47%)

15+ nights (17%)

Holiday (66%)

Business (10%)

VFR (20%)

Jan-Mar (8%)

Apr-Jun (32%)

Jul-Sep (45%)

Oct-Dec (16%)


Regions Visited

Top regions visited Lothians Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley Highlands & Islands

Source: IPS, 2017

Visitor Heat Map

Darker areas = more visitors


Trends InformationVisitors from USA to Scotland

VISITORS FROM USA TO SCOTLAND: 2008 – 2017

Source: IPS, 2017

1. Total visit/nights/spend

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Total visits (000s) 340 352 279 333 324 316 417 409 451 566

Total Spend (£m)

260 232 188 228 274 278 436 391 510 556

Total nights (000s) 2759 3273 2181 2535 2880 2278 3685 3882 4109 4949


2. Volume/Value trend

Source: IPS, 2017

American visitors to Scotland continued to grow in terms of both volume and value of visitors, with Scotland welcoming over half a million visitors from the USA for the first time in 2017 with a total spend of £566 million. Good connectivity between the American East Coast and Edinburgh and Glasgow, means it’s easy to see why the USA remains our largest single market.

In line with the seasonal nature of routes to Scotland, almost half (45%) of all trips by our American adventurers occur between July and September, with only a quarter of trips in October to March, the traditional low season. The long-haul nature of a trip from America to Scotland also means the majority of visitors spend one to two weeks here, averaging at 8.7 nights.

Holidaying is the most common reason for visiting Scotland, with lower proportions of business visitors and those visiting friends and relatives than seen in the UK generally. The proportion of holiday visitors leads to a longer average stay and a higher spend per trip by Americans in Scotland than that of the UK.

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2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Sum of Visits (000s) Sum of Spend (£m)


How Visitors from the USA View Scotland

Scotland enjoys an image of a country with plenty of things to see and do where local people, food, drink and traditions are worth learning about. Research tells us that a holiday in Scotland may be perceived as a discerning holiday and one which will reflect well on how a visitor from the USA wishes to be viewed by others (as educated and cultured).

In research in 2015, which explored the key benefits of a holiday in Scotland, the following key tangible and more emotional benefits of a holiday in Scotland stood out particularly strongly for USA consumers.

Scenery and landscape

Consumers from the USA expect vast landscapes in Scotland that are (unlike the US) wild and not managed, and green not dry.

They expect to be awed and inspired by the beauty and majesty of mountains and lochs. They expect the scenery to be breath-taking and dramatic, and they expect a variety of both rural and urban scenery.

History and Culture

Scotland’s history and culture is viewed very positively. Being able to see castles is of particular importance and seen as a key benefit of a holiday here.

They expect to feel an ever present sense of history when here and imagine that they will experience or even ‘feel’ the mysteries of the past via legends, myths and romantic stories. And this is a perceived benefit which makes Scotland stand out.

PeopleThey expect a sense of welcome and inclusion when on holiday in Scotland. This contrasts to a feeling that visitors from USA may not be as welcome in other locations abroad.

They expect interactions with friendly, warm and hospitable people in Scotland to really enhance their holiday experience

A sense of connection

Digging deeper, consumers from America told us that they expect to feel a spiritual connection to the land, and to history and an authentic feeling of connection to the Scottish people.

They told us they expect to ‘feel at home’ when on holiday in Scotland and to be moved at some level from their experiences. They expect to feel a cosy feeling from a small welcoming country. They expect a holiday in Scotland to be the opposite of superficial.


CONNECTIONS TO SCOTLANDMOTIVATIONS TO VISIT SCOTLAND

History & culture 56% (survey average 33%)

Scenery & landscape 55% (survey average 50%)

SCOTLAND Always wanted to visit 41% (survey average 15%)

My Scottish ancestry 24% (survey average 9%)

To visit cities 21% (survey average 15%)

58% of visitors from USA had a connection to Scotland. The most common connections were:

Ancestors lived in Scotland 33%

Friends live in Scotland 12%

Family live in Scotland 12%

Scotland’s history & culture is a stronger motivator for visitors from the USA in comparison to domestic or European markets. Film and TV programmes about Scotland are also important prompts to visits for visitors from USA, especially Outlander. Ancestral links may prompt some visitors from USA to go ‘off the beaten track’. For those on a specific ancestral visit, sightseeing, researching ancestry and ‘walking in their steps’ are key elements of a trip.

Visitors from the USA are more likely to have a connection with Scotland than European counterparts but less so than visitors from Canada or Australia who typically have greater family & friend connections.

PLANNING & BOOKING

On average, visitors from USA start to plan 10 months in advance.

Planning:Travel booking:Accommodation booking:

Visitors from USA are likely to use many types of information in planning their holiday, particularly websites, their friends and family and printed travel guide books. They are also more likely than average to seek personal advice from a travel agent.

TRANSPORT TO SCOTLAND

47% arrived by plane (indirect). The most popular airports for connections to Scotland were:Heathrow 34% Dublin 21% Schiphol 9%

40% arrived by plane, directly into Scotland: Edinburgh Airport 54% Glasgow Airport 27% Aberdeen Airport 4%

Source: Scotland Visitor Survey 2015/2016

40.9 weeks21.7 weeks21.6 weeks

TOP 5 ACTIVITIES IN SCOTLAND

Sightseeing 90%

Visited cathedral, church 85%

Visited castle/ historic house 92%

Visited cities 72%

Short walks 70%

Typically visitors from the USA are very active during their break in Scotland, above average on most activities but with a particular emphasis on historical and cultural attractions.

Further down the list of activities, but notably higher for visitors from the USA than others:

Aspects Important in Choosing Accommodation:

Location 79%

Value for Money 59%

Availability of free Wi-Fi at accommodation 45%

Quality star grading 33%

Hotel 62% (survey average 41%)

B&B/GH 38% (survey average 20%)

Friends/family 23% (survey average 19%)

Self-catering 12% (survey average 22%)

Airbnb 14% (survey average 5%)


ACCOMMODATION

Visiting a film or TV location 18%

Accommodation Preferences:



Visitors from USA record very high levels of satisfaction across all aspects of the visitor experience in Scotland and these ratings tend to be higher than all other markets.

Satisfaction with the Visitor Experience

MEAN Top 2 Box (9 or 10)

Overall rating of Holiday Experience (scale 1-10) 9.4 88% (above average)

Likelihood to Recommend 9.5 89% (above average)

Areas of the visitor experience which recorded mean scores below 8 include:

Availability of free Wi-Fi

Mobile phone signal coverage Value for money of eating out

Availability of local produce when eating out Availability of 3G/4G

70% strongly agree that ‘Scotland is a country worth visiting more than once’

45% strongly agree that ‘this is one of the best holidays I have ever taken’

62% strongly agree that ‘they were made to feel welcome’



Popular media channels

Research with consumers from the USA on VisitScotland’s database has provided examples of key media channels used by these consumers.

Key Websites Used

• Facebook• Google• Yahoo• Msn• Amazon

• Email (gmail, Hotmail)• Aol• CNN• BBC news• Twitter

• New York Times• Pinterest• Huffington Post

Key Social Media Accounts

• Facebook• YouTube• TripAdvisor• Google+

• Pinterest• Linkedin• Instragram• Twitter

• Whatsapp• Snapchat

Key Newspapers Read (online or print)

• New York Times• Washington Post• Wall Street Journal

• Huffington Post• Boston Globe• LA Times

• Chicago Tribune

Key Magazines Read (Online or in print)

• National Geographic• Time

• People• New Yorker

• Southern Living

Influential TV Programmes for Travel

• Outlander• Rick Steeves

• Downton abbey• Braveheart

• Travel Channel• National Geographic

Source: VisitScotland Research 2014-2017


Current Connecting Routes

Direct to Edinburgh

United New York Newark – Edinburgh (all year round) Washington – Edinburgh (seasonal) Chicago – Edinburgh (seasonal)

Delta New York JFK– Edinburgh (all year round)

Norwegian Airlines New York Stewart – Edinburgh (all year round)

American Airlines New York JFK– Edinburgh (seasonal)

Direct to Glasgow

UnitedNew York Newark – Glasgow (seasonal)

Delta New York JFK– Glasgow (seasonal)

American Airlines Philadelphia – Glasgow (seasonal)

Virgin Atlantic Orlando – Glasgow (seasonal)


Barriers to Travel

Although Scotland may enjoy a positive image amongst consumers from the USA, we need to be aware of the range of barriers which may be in the mind-set of visitors when considering their holiday destination.

• The biggest barrier to consideration of Scotland is awareness. Locations closer to home are often more top of mind for the traveller from the USA

• Cost is a critical factor in choosing a holiday destination and there may also be a perception that Scotland is an expensive travel choice

• A lack of knowledge of multiplicity of locales and range of activities to do in the evening may also hinder consideration.

CONTACT US

Insight DepartmentVisitScotlandOcean Point One94 Ocean DriveEdinburgh EH6 6JH

0131 472 [email protected] 2018

visitscotland.com visitscotland.org

Disclaimer: VisitScotland has published this report in good faith to update stakeholders on its activity. VisitScotland has taken all reasonable steps to confirm the information contained in the publication is correct. However, VisitScotland does not warrant or assume any legal liability for the accuracy of any information disclosed and accepts no responsibility for any error or omissions. Images © VisitScotland

USING AND INTERPRETING STATISTICAL DATASource: Data is sourced from the Office for National Statistics’ International Passenger Survey (IPS). Information about the survey can be found on the VisitBritain website www.visitbritain.org (Insights & Statistics section) or the Office for National Statistics website www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/index.html.

Sample Sizes: Analysis of sub-groups, such as trips by purpose or demographic group, relies on small sample sizes that can be unreliable. Where this is a particular issue, methods to aggregate data, such as using a 3-year average instead of single-year data, have been used. Before using the data, it is important to recognise the limitations of using a small sample size. Further information, including methodology and sample sizes, can be found on the VisitBritain website www.visitbritain.org (Insights & Statistics section).

APPENDIX:International Passenger Survey 2017Civil Aviation Authority 2017

insight department: usa visitors to scotland€¦ · usa and also visiting scotland for the first...

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